Loose Cannons (1990) ** (out of 4)Stop me if you've heard this before. MacArthur (Gene Hackman) is a tough cop who does things his own way. After being out of the big game for a while he's allowed a crack at a string a murders but he's forced to have a new partner who turns out to be Ellis (Dan Aykroyd). Ellis, as it turns out, is a great mind but sadly he also suffers from various forms of mental illness. This here doesn't sit too well with MacArthur but over time he begins to like his new partner.LOOSE CANNONS made many critics pick as one of the worst movies of the year when it came out but I'm not going to go that far. I've always been curious about the filmmoraphy of director Bob Clark because during the 1970's he delivered some exceptional work like DEATHDREAM, BLACK CHRISTMAS and MURDER BY DECREE. He followed that up in the 80's with films like PORKY'S and A CHRISTMAS STORY. But for every good film there is stuff like RHINESTONE, BABY GENIUSES and this film.The problem with the film is the screenplay by Clark and Richard Matheson. There's really not an original moment here unless you could what the murders are happening for. Get ready for this. The cops are trying to track down a porno movie with Hitler. Yeah, you heard that right. This here could have probably been quite funny had the film really went for a hard R-rating but instead it just comes across as rather weak all around. As does the rest of the film because we've simply seen this type of cop-buddy picture too many times and often times much better.As far as the cast goes, Hackman gives a good performance as he plays it straight, which you would expect. Aykroyd does what he can with his "character" but he's just way too annoying for his gown good. He goes into various characters in the film from Woody Woodpecker to the Sundance Kid and countless others but it's just not that funny. Dom DeLuise doesn't his routine here which doesn't add many laughs either.LOOSE CANNONS isn't quite as awful as some of the reviews made it out to be but at the same time there's certainly nothing good here and it ranks as a disappointment considering the talent involved.

How could Gene Hackman be part of this project and still remain dignified throughout the entire movie? Dan Aykroyd has at least done much worse (remember Doctor Detroit) but we kind of expect Hackman to be above this kind of sleazy action/comedy. I guess he thought that he could do Eddie Murphy one better who was at that time the king of action comedy.(Warning: Spoilers) The plot involving the Germans trying to make a Fourth Reich is very tired indeed and they are such an easy target. Check out what happens when Robert Prosky does his "best" Hitler imitation at the end of the movie and look at the screen behind him. Then remember his first scene he's in and it's exactly like you predicted but hoped it wouldn't turn out. I can remember seeing Prosky on Hill Street Blues where he was absolutely great and then seeing him here and saying: "What a tool!"And let's not forget the human blimp Dom DeLuise. Maybe he was funny in the early part of his career but to see him wheeze his way through a part that is miscasting to the max makes you feel nauseous. Ronny Cox of Beverly Hills Cop fame tries a southern accent which makes him sound like a very bad imitation of Billy Bob Thornton.The thing that is funny about this below average film is how many famous people who make perfect fools of themselves and Dan Aykroyd should feel kind of embarrassed to make schizophrenia look annoying instead of a disease. Like Roger Ebert has mentioned: "Any material can be funny if executed the right way." but this is definitely wrong.

Terrible film that puts old detective (Gene Hackman) with a crazed detective (Dan Aykroyd) to solve a complicated case. The odd partnership is made stranger due to the fact that Aykroyd has a type of split-personality disorder which causes him to imitate television show characters at seemingly all times. A really poor movie that wastes the immense talents of Hackman. A really rotten goose egg. 2 stars out of 5.

Both my son Jack and I very much enjoy this film. The critics have given this film a bad review but we don't care. Gene Hackman's presence as always lifts the film and Dan Aykroyd makes a good foil; a sort of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Not over violent with some good jokes. Ronny Cox, always watchable. Paul Koslo makes a good heavy. Come on critics, lighten up!!